Method of and an apparatus for cementing the closure joints of packages

ABSTRACT

1,084,695. Coating apparatus. FR. HESSER MASCHINENFABRIK - A.G. June 6, 1966 [July 9, 1965], No. 25051/66. Heading B2L. In cementing the closure joint of a package, a mechanical cement applicator member is applied to the sealing surface of the joint to transfer cement thereto and pressurised gas is directed from the applicator member against the cement applied to the closure joint to force the cement into said joint. In the arrangement shown liquid cement K is taken up by roller 3 from container 2 and passed to distributor roller 4. Cementing bar 1 is moved by suitable link mechanism to the chain dotted position shown where it received cement from roller 4. The bar 1 is then moved to the full line position in which it is brought into contact with the sealing surface of the folded closure E to transfer cement to the sealing surface. The bar 1 has a number of nozzle bores 19 fed from a common duct 20 to which a compressed air supply is connected. After application of the cement to the sealing surface compressed air is passed through the bores 19 to force the cement over the whole area of the joint surface. The cement applicator may alternatively be in the form of a roller.

Nov. 25, 1969 H. KIEFE R 3,480,470 METHOD OF AND AN APPARA FOR CEMEN'I'ING THE CLOSUR PACK E JOINTS AGES Filed June 9, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 25. 1969 H. KIEFER 3,480,470

METHOD OF AND AN APPARATUS FOR CEMENTING THE CLOSURE JOINTS OF PACKAGES Filed June 9, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3 I 1 Nov. 25. 1969 H. KlE R H 3,480,470

METHOD OF N AN ARA U FOR CEMENTING T C URE INTS OF PACKAGES Filed June 9, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet S United States Patent M Int. Cl. B44d 1/02 US. Cl. 117-111 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method and device for cementing the closure joint of a package or bag. The device comprises a cement applicator member and means coupled thereto for applying the member to the sealing surface of the closure joint to apply cement thereto. The device also comprises blowing nozzles associated with the member for directing a stream of a pressurized gas onto the cement to force the cement into the joint.

This invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for cementing the closure joints of packages, primarily bags, the cement being applied to the sealing surfaces of the joints by means of a mechanical cement applicator member. The invention is particularly suitable for bag closures which have been formed by roll folding.

It is to be noted that the term cement as used in this specification is intended to include all appropriate adhesive materials.

It has previously been known to apply the cement to the closure joints of packages with a so-called cementing bar which is initially provided with a coating of cement by a roller and then transfers this coating to the sealing surface of the closure joint :by a wiping 'or smearing action.

In some' instances this method, which in principle is very simple, has the disadvantage that there is no guarantee that a suflicient quantity of cement will reach all those parts of a closure joint which are important for prope sealing of the closure.

Thus, for example, in the case of roll folded closures of bags and the like it is important that when the top closure strip, i.e. the flattened mouth of a bag, which may be folded one or more times, is turned down and stuck to the upper face of the bag, sufficient cement reaches the corner defined by the said strip and the upper face of the bag, so that a proper sealing of the bag mouth is produced at this corner.

The object of the invention is to improve the aforementioned method so that the cement applied by the applicator member to the parts of closure joints to be cemented also reaches the parts and corners, which are accessible only with difiiculty, in sufficient quantities to provide well sealed closures.

To this end, the method according to this invention resides in the steps of applying a mechanical cement applicator member to the sealing surface of the joint to transfer cement thereto, and directing pressurized gas from the applicator member against the cement applied to the closure joint to force the cement into said joint.

Preferably the pressurized gas is charged with a hardening accelerator for the cement, or is heated.

The apparatus for performing the method according to the invention comprises a mechanical applicator member, means coupled to this member for applying it to the sealing surface of a closure joint to be cemented to trans- 3,480,470 Patented Nov. 25, 1969 fer cement thereto, and at least one blowing nozzle associated with the applicator member and arranged to direct pressurized gas against the cement applied to the closure joint to force the cement into said joint.

In one embodiment of the invention, the cement applicator member is in the form of a cementing bar incorporating blowing nozzles which extend transversely with respect to the bar and open adjacent the leading edge of the cement receiving surface of the bar. Such a cementing bar is particularly suitable for cementing the roll folded closures referred to above, because in such a case the cement is forced deep into the fold corners of the closures and gives the required firm sealing of the bag mouths.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

In these drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a cross sectional view of the important parts of a bag closure cementing apparatus in accordance with the invention taken on the line I-I of FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 2 shows, on an enlarged scale, the cementing bar of the FIGURE 1 apparatus and the bag closure being cemented,

FIGURE 3 is a front view of the apparatus of FIG- U'RE 1, and

FIGURES 5 to 6 illustrate the working parts of the apparatus in different operating stages.

Basically the cementing apparatus illustrated comprises a cementing bar 1, a cement storage container 2, a cement extracting roller 3 which projects into the container 2, a cement distributor roller 4 associated with roller 3, links 5 and So for guiding and operating the cementing bar 1, a cam plate 6 controlling the movement of bar 1, and a fold-down slide 9 carried by links 7 and 8.

The roller 3, which is rotated in known fashion in the direction of the arrow shown, takes up cement K from the storage container 2 and transfers it to the distributor roller 4.

The cementing bar 1 is carried at its ends by levers 10 and 10a which are pivotally mounted by means of pins 11, Ha on the links 5 and 511 respectively. These links 5, So each comprises two interengaged parts which are adjustable to enable the cementing bar 1 to be adjusted in relation to the distributor roller 4. The links 5, 5a are secured to a shaft 12 so as to be pivotable in unison, such pivoting being effected by a lever arm 13 which is integral with the link 5 and is operable through a linkage 14 from normal driving elements (not shown) in synchronism with an associated packaging machine.

At its outer end, the pin 11 is fastened to a lever 15,

having a cam roller 16 rotatably mounted at its end, suchwise that the bar 1 will turn with the lever 15. Interposed between the link 5 and the associated lever 10 is a. spring 17, whereby when the link 5 is pivoted by the lever arm 13, the said link pivots the lever 10 through the spring 17. The cam roller 16 rolls along the cam plate 6 and the bar 1 is thereby moved in a path conforming with the cam shape. Thus, the leading edge 1b of the cementreceiving surface 1a of this bar, which surface is preferably of concave curvature, is applied against the distributor roller 4 so that cement K is deposited on the surface 1a (FIGURE 4). The bar 1 is lifted away from the distributor roller 4 by turning of the cam plate 6 in the counter clockwise direction by means of a linkage 23 (FIGURE 5), and is moved into a position between the upper side B of a bag B and is roll folded closure E, which has previously been folded in known fashion, by pivoting of the lever arm 13 (FIGURE 6). The folddown slide 9, guided by the link 7 which is rotatable 0n the shaft 12, is moved against the side of the roll folded closure E remote from the cemented side, by turning of the link 8 by means of a lever 18, and it thereby folds down the closure E and also exerts a variable counter pressure on the bar 1 (FIGURE 2).

A number of nozzle bores 19 open at the cementreceiving surface In of the bar 1 and are connected through a common duct 20 in the bar and a flexible pipe 21 incorporating a control valve 22, to a source of compressed air (not shown). Carbon dioxide, nitrogen or any other gas having the required properties, can be used instead of air, or for example use may be made of air charged with hardening accelerators, or heated air. When the control valve 22 is opened, the gas concerned flows through the nozzle bores 19 against the cement K present between the bar 1 and the roll folded closure E, whereby a quantity of this cement is forced over the area covered by the bar 1 and between the Walls of the package bounding the cut edges S of the roll folded closure E. This ensures a proper sealing of the closure.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the present invention is not limited to the use of blowing nozzles with the particular form of applicator member illustrated in the drawings. Blowing nozzles may, within the scope of the invention, be associated with other forms of cement applicator members, for example cementing segments or cementing rollers, in instances where the cement to be applied is required to reach places which are difficult of access.

I claim:

1. A method of cementing the closure joint of a package, said method comprising a plying a mechanical cement applicator member to the sealing surface of the joint to transfer cement thereto, and directing a pressurized gas from the applicator member onto the cement applied to the closure joint to force the cement into said joint.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas is heated,

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas is air.

4. An apparatus for cementing the closure joint of packages, said apparatus comprising a mechanical cement applicator member, means coupled to said mechanical cement applicator member for applying same to the sealing surface of a closure joint to be cemented to transfer cement thereto, and at least one blowing nozzle associated with the mechanical cement applicator member and arranged to direct a pressurized gas onto the cement applied to the closure joint to force the cement into said closure joint.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which the mechanical cement applicator member is a cementing ibar incorporating blowing nozzles which extend transversely with respect to the bar and open adjacent the leading edge of the cement-receiving surface of the bar.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which the cement-receiving surface of the cementing bar is of concave form.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,700,260 1/ 1955 Paulsen 53-3 83 X 3,035,938 5/1962 Schwinger 1171 11 X 3,111,796 11/1963 Meissner 53383 X ALFRED L. LEAVITT, Primary Examiner THOMAS E. BOKAN, Assistant Examiner US. or. X.R. 

